Work Text:
Deep within the aperture facility, Chell walked quietly along a rusted catwalk. The air smelt of dampness and mould. A couple of dim orange lights lit up the catwalk that traced the walls of the facility.
The lower part of the facility felt like it had been lost to time. Several panels on the wall hung by a mere thread, puddles of still water lay scattered on the ground, and large green vines clung to its black walls.
She kept her portal gun lowered. A battered potato with wires, nails and orange light hastily fastened to its skin was skewered to one of the prongs of the gun. There was also a camera somewhere on it as well.
“Do you realise how boring it is when only one of us can talk?” the potato – GLaDOS – complained. “It never really bothered me before – since I had endless entertainment at my fingertips – but now, I might actually grow tired of my own voice. Could you imagine that?”
Chell’s eyes flicked down, sparing the potato a sliver of her attention before focusing back on the path.
“Well, at least you understand me…or can you? Maybe you're just really good at pretending to understand, I wouldn’t know. Maybe there’s a dusty MRI machine in storage I could use to verify my hypothesis. But why would I waste so much effort on you? ”
The catwalk rattled.
“This part of the facility – I neglected maintenance on. I had to divert all my resources into keeping all the testing chambers in perfect condition just for you. Honestly, you should be grateful.”
Snap!
The catwalk lurched downward, its rear had rusted cleanly through. Chell caught one of the railings with her spare hand that wasn’t holding the portal gun. She groaned as the rusted metal shaved off the skin of her palm.
Unbothered by the immediate peril they were in, GLaDOS continued. “You know if I knew we were going down here, I may have actually kept the maintenance up. But even I don’t have that kind of foresight.”
As the catwalk swung gently like a swing, Chell tried in desperation to pull herself up with just one arm.
“Hey, I know I didn’t exactly schedule you any meal breaks, which may have led to your malnourishment, but they do say true strength comes within.”
Chell gritted her teeth and cried, her arm contracting ever so slowly.
“You’re actually – just keep it up!” A tiny bit of surprise leaked into GLaDOS’ voice box.
A deep creak came from the catwalk.
“Oh dear.” Glados sighed. Just like a twig, the catwalk snapped free, once again sending the duo into freefall.
At first the world felt distant, covered in a dark veil.
A distant voice called her.
“Chell…”
How long had it been since she heard…her name?
Then feelings began to trickle back. First, she felt the cold wetness that pressed into her back. Her back. A constant stream of pain raced up and down her spine. Then there was her head, a splitting migraine that threatened to tear her skull in two. Her legs…something kept a constant pressure on them…and a sliver of something warm rolled off them.
“...your name…right?”
“...surprised…that transferred…”
Her eyes flickered open. At first everything was a blurry dark mess.
“Ha! I knew that wouldn’t kill you!” the synthesized voice announced triumphantly.
She tilted her head to the side, as far her neck allowed. A soft glowing light wavered on and off in sync with the computerized voice. GLaDOS, still skewed to the portal gun.
“You haven’t suffered any more damage to your brain right? That would be rather unfortunate. All those future years of testing gone to waste,” GLaDOS huffed in minor despair.
For the moment GLaDOS grew quiet. Chell rolled her head back, staring at the ceiling as she caught breath.
“I just had a horrible thought. Your spine could be broken into a million tiny pieces and I would be none the wiser. You could be paralyzed from the neck down, screaming in silence as I monologue to myself. God, that must be torture,” She uttered, her words unsympathetic.
The automated drone of the AI’s voice only furthered Chell’s migraine. It drilled into her brain, screeching like nails on a chalkboard.
“Shut…up,” Chell said through clenched teeth.
The potato obliged. The quiet hum of her circuits grew louder, an electronic gasp.
“ So … you can talk. Not only that but the first words you spoke to me was something so barbaric, ‘Shut up’ . I should put that on a plaque. Honestly, I'm impressed you fooled me into thinking you were both maniac and a mute. Now I know you're just a maniac.”
Chell tilted her head away from the robot with purpose.
“Even everything we’ve been through. All the neurotoxin that seeped into your brain, all the comments I made about your sad, little, life and you just kept your mouth shut. I’ll even let you in on a little secret. I once considered removing the microphones from the cameras, since that’s how silent you were. But how would I hear your scream if you perished?”
Chell still wasn’t making any attempts to free herself.
“ You can still feel your legs right?” GLaDOS asked, a hint of concern in her code.
“I can.”
“So, what are you waiting for? We have a moron to overthrow.” GLaDOS eagerly prompted, eager to get back to the swing into things.
Chell heaved her upper body upright, staring at her legs. “Shit…” she whispered.
The broken catwalk had pinned her legs underneath it. At least her legs didn’t feel broken…just badly bruised.
“What? Don’t tell me that catwalk has actually bested you.” GLaDOS sounded like she was rolling her eyes.
Chell pushed and pulled on the damp floor with her bloodied hand. She writhed like a trapped animal but the catwalk didn’t budge. She flopped back onto the floor. Chest rising and falling with every rushed breath – exhaustion consuming her very being.
Silent tears began to leak from her eyes.
“If I knew rusty catwalks would be your downfall, I would have put them in my personal chamber,” GLaDOS remarked somberly.
Tears turned to sobs. Chell slammed her fists into the ground. “Please…haven’t you tortured me enough!”
“Hardly –” GLaDOS cut herself off. At first Chell thought she’d crashed from trying to draw too much power from the strained potato, but then she continued after a moment of consideration. “I’m sorry.”
A part of Chell wanted to believe those words. But the rest of her was wiser.
“You don’t mean it.”
“Oh, believe me if I had the power to lie I would.”
“...”
“We both tried to kill each other and you’ve even succeeded . Except this time, I’m in the same position as you and…I’m starting to see why you would want to terminate the moron behind this. Not that I was a moron, that statement only applies now.”
“I thought you’d never understand.” Chell said, gathering herself and wiping the tears from her eyes.
“Being reduced to a potato tends to alter your perspective… I can't believe I’m going to say this, but I need you, Chell.”
“Never thought I’d hear that from you,” Chell sighed.
“To be specific, I don’t need you – I need your body. Such a nimble and flexible vessel capable of contouring itself through the narrowest of passages that all lead to the moron. So, get up!”
Invigorated by the surprisingly encouraging words from her sworn enemy, Chell screamed as poured every ounce of strength she had left into moving. The catwalk creaked and groaned but ultimately remained still.
“FUCK!” Chell screamed in panic. Was she really going to die here? After everything she’d been through…
“It was worth a shot.” GLaDOS said.
“I’m going to die here…” she whimpered.
“Well, I was going to offer a way out but if you’ve already made up your mind.”
“You thought of something!” Chell shot up, her desperate eyes staring at the potato on her portal gun.
“Of course I did. Who do you think I am? What you're going to do is follow my instructions exactly. We should be able to improve the portal gun’s electromagnetic field just enough to lift that catwalk. Even on just 1.4 volts I thought of that. Aren’t I amazing?” GLaDOS gloated.
“I’ll praise you after I’m free.”
“Then we have a deal.” GLaDOS chimed.